


Always the Guardian

by Lazulia



Category: Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Genre: From the author formerly known as Delphicoracle-Cat, Hurt Misto, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Medical Emergency, eventual sexytimes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-11-06 08:05:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17935982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lazulia/pseuds/Lazulia
Summary: An innocent stroll in the woods leads to something not-so-innocent for Mistoffelees and Munkustrap, but also leads to a life-and-death situation for Mistoffelees.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy another fic from my archives, circa 2013!

The shack was a small, wooden thing, tucked away in a poorly-travelled wooded area just outside London. Munkustrap always imagined some humans had built it and later abandoned it, though he couldn't imagine why. To think that they left perfectly good building material behind!

Once a month or so, Munkustrap trekked out into the woods, collecting the loosened planks of wood from the shack's floor and walls and dragging them back to the junkyard. They were perfect for patching up collapsed dens or covering up holes in the yard's surrounding fence. He usually brought Alonzo on these trips, needing a second pair of strong paws to help him bring the wooden planks back home. But the patched tom had bowed out of this month's trip, claiming a sore paw, though Munkustrap suspected that it had more to do with Cassandra being in the mood for a little attention.

As a result, it was another black-and-white cat who'd insisted on coming along for the trip this time, with an emphasis on insisted.

Munkustrap made a show of considering Mistoffelees' offer, hemming and hawing about the tux being a tad too small to trudge through the woods and drag the needed wood back to the junkyard, while on the inside, he was all but leaping for joy. For reasons he couldn't quite articulate, because he had never been very good at articulating his feelings, Munkustrap found himself wanting more and more of Mistoffelees' company these days. Unfortunately, he didn't exactly have the means to indulge his- dare he say it?- crush on the young tom.

It was a well-kept secret of Munkustrap's that he envied his brother. Tugger had a knack for making his every little quirk and indulgence look wholly natural. Nothing could be out of character for him because doing the weird and the unexpected was his character. If Tugger had a crush on someone, it would be the most natural thing in the world for him to just sidle up to the object of his admiration, squeeze a rear end or whisper some obscene little nothing, and enjoy every moment of it.

Munkustrap, unfortunately, was the exact opposite. He'd nursed a crush on Alonzo a few years ago, but had been too reserved to say anything, and soon Alonzo ended up mated to Cassandra. That was always his failing: too cautious to give in to emotions, too self-conscious to embarrass himself. Too aware of his responsibilities to let his guard down, if only for a moment, despite what it always seemed to cost him.

He'd spoken to Tugger at length about it, confiding in him everything (well, everything but his secret envy of his brother's character—he wasn't about to let the other tom have that satisfaction) and had sworn him to secrecy about his, yes, crush on Mistoffelees. Tugger had gone as far as to give him a few helpful pick-up lines ("Beautiful fur you've got. Do you have some tabby in you? …. would you like some?") But it seemed like too much of a challenge to teach a reserved tom some boisterous tricks.

Still, that didn't mean he wasn't about to enjoy Mistoffelees' presence as much as he could. He wasn't quite sure why the young tux had insisted on coming along, but he certainly seemed happy enough to be walking through the woods. Munkustrap had insisted he stay close, if only because the woods were dense and it was easy to get lost. Mistoffelees had taken the recommendation to heart, following Munkustrap so closely that their tails often brushed and their hips often bumped.

"I see it!" Mistoffelees beamed.

The enthusiasm made Munkustrap smile. He'd long stopped thinking of the shack as anything but a source of materials for den repairs, but Mistoffelees' excitement was contagious.

The shack had a large open gap on its south side, from where Munkustrap and Alonzo had already torn out planks of wood. It had two unboarded windows on its other side, and a roof that looked a bit ratty and ready to collapse.

As they approached it, Mistoffelees ran ahead, quickly bounding up to the roof, tail happily flicking. Munkustrap was the stronger of the two, but Mistoffelees was the better jumper. While it was probably safer for the lighter tom to be up there, it still made Munkustrap nervous to see him so high up.

"What do you suppose the humans used this for?" Mistoffelees asked, as he happily stepped over and tested the planks of wood by tapping his foot on them. "A house?"

"I think it's a tad too small to be a house."

Mistoffelees gaped. "Not for me! Can you imagine if we all lived in dens like this? Can you imagine if your den looked like this?"

"I think," Munkustrap said demurely. "This would be a bit too big for just one of me."

"Who says you'd have to live in it alone?"

Munkustrap looked up in shocked bemusement and was rewarded with a shy, mischievous grin as Mistoffelees quickly retreated out of sight on the shack's roof.

"So, do I just knock these down to you?"

"Yes," Munkustrap said, still a bit flustered about Mistoffelees' seemingly innocent remark. Yet another case of Mistoffelees being endearingly kittenish, or was he trying to signal more? No, Munkustrap resolved. No, Mistoffelees could surely not be flirting, and surely not with him, of all toms.

"But be careful," the tabby added needlessly.

"Munk," Mistoffelees chided, still out of sight on the roof. "When am I not careful?"

Munkustrap was all set to agree, at least until a loud burst of light surging out from behind the angle of the roof made him flinch.

"Everlasting! Misto?!"

Mistoffelees' serene but confused face popped into view to peer down curiously. "What?"

Munkustrap blinked sheepishly. "… oh. I-I thought…"

"Magic, Munk. Makes it easier to loosen the wood. Here's one!"

The tux disappeared out of sight again, though Munkustrap kept his eyes riveted to the roof. A second later, a plank of wood came delicately floating down towards the ground.

"That is efficient," Munkustrap said with admiration. And much safer than having to dodge the planks as Alonzo threw them down.

"Told you!" Another flash of light, another plank was gently levitated down to the ground.

"Just… watch your footing up there, all right?"

Munkustrap could practically hear the eye-roll. Mistoffelees' petulant, kittenish attitude could be endearing sometimes, but right now the tabby was more concerned about Mistoffelees not breaking his—

He wasn't sure if he heard the wood cracking, or the scream first. Either way, Munkustrap flinched as the weak wood of the roof suddenly collapsed, taking Mistoffelees down with it in a puff of dust and splinters.

"Misto!" he cried. Taking only a second to confirm that the tux had fallen through the roof with the wood, Munkustrap sprang for the shack, squeezing through the entrance and coughing at the floating splinters and sawdust. He saw only the pile of broken wood, and no tux. Was he buried?

"Mistoffelees! Are you hurt? Everlasting, say something!"

"... you know, if you'd get out of the way, I could jump down."

Munkustrap whirled up towards the voice. As the dust and wood particles began to clear, he could see the silhouette of one very cheeky-looking cat, dangling from his front claws from a broken wooden board on the roof of the shack.

"One of the planks broke," the tux calmly explained. He blew a puff of dust from his whiskers and nose.

"I thought you'd fallen through!" Munkustrap said. He tried to judge how far up Mistoffelees was- at least once and again Munkustrap's height from the ground.

"I did!" Mistoffelees casually said, flicking his tail and swinging his hind legs as though he was simply doing some morning gymnastics. "And then I took care of myself. See? Now if you'd move, I could get down from here."

Munkustrap shook his head. "You're not going to jump. You'll break a paw. Why don't you... use your magic? Teleport? Levitate down?"

"Because it's a waste of magic? I can jump."

"Don't jump! Not to the ground." With another careful look, Munkustrap shifted his position slightly and held out his arms. "Now go on, I'll catch you."

"What if I land on your head and knock you out?" Mistoffelees mock-gasped. "I can't roll you back to the junkyard! I'll get bored with no conversation. What with you being knocked out and all."

"Just jump, will you?"

With a shrug, Mistoffelees loosened his claws from the plank, letting his slight form drop down. He landed rather easily into Munkustrap's arms, the tabby grunting only slightly from the sudden weight. He had to admit, it felt rather nice to have this rare opportunity to cradle Mistoffelees in his arms.

"What an adventure," Mistoffelees sighed dramatically. He blew another puff of dust from his now-dirty face, whiskers twitching. "Honestly, Munk, you are such a worrywart."

Munkustrap really couldn't argue with that. Now that he knew Mistofelees was safe and unhurt, he was more preoccupied with the dusty smudges all over Mistoffelees' white-furred face.

"The dust got everywhere, you look a fright," Munkustrap said. "Let me…"

Acting on impulse, and without quite realizing the implication of what he was doing, the tabby leaned in to Mistoffelees, still cradled in his arms, and began to gently lick the soft fur clean.

It was only a moment into the grooming that Munkustrap realized just how intimate this gesture was, realized how close he was to Mistoffelees, how he was now tasting and smelling him rather intimately, and his heart skipped a beat. Mistoffelees' gentle, growing purr made the whole thing even more exciting.

The content purr suddenly stopped, however, and soon Mistoffelees squirmed in his arms like a kitten demanding to be placed down. Munkustrap set the tux down to his feet, though he didn't stop the grooming, licking the outside of a twitching ear,

"Munk..." Mistoffelees sighed, leaning away from the grooming with an unimpressed look. "Do you ever stop being… well, being a protector?"

Munkustrap stared at him, a little hurt. Was that a bad thing? "What are you talking about?"

"If anyone else was holding me in their arms and licking my face- let's just say the whole thing would be a lot more exciting, you know? But that's not how you mean it. I don't want to be taken care of, Munk. I don't need to be taken care of."

"I just wanted to help you," Munkustrap said, frowning.

"You waste so much energy making sure everybody's safe. Doesn't that get awfully boring for you?"

"It doesn't," Munkustrap weakly protested. "And I don't."

"Yes you do," Mistoffelees said. He grinned as though Munkustrap had said exactly what he expected. "And you're even worse with me! Do you think I'm a bloody kitten?"

"Of course not! I-I... I just don't want anything to happen to you."

"Oh yes? And why is that?" Mistoffelees asked. He crossed his arms and gave the tabby a sassy look.

Because, Munkustrap thought, when you look at me like that, I want to kiss you, and take you to my den and stay there with you for days.

Damn it. Now would have been a perfect time to channel a bit of Tugger quality. Instead, he said, "Because I care about you."

"Oh Munk," Mistoffelees chuckled. "You're such a romantic." And with that, he uncrossed his arms, stood up on his toes, and pecked a quick kiss on the tabby's mouth.

Munkustrap drew back, but it certainly wasn't from disgust. In fact, he couldn't help the rather goofy smile he suddenly sported, and judging by Mistoffelees' kittenish grin, he saw it for what it was.

"I got tired of waiting for you to do something," Mistoffelees explained simply. He ran his claw-tips up Munkustrap's arms, but stopped there, shyly waiting for Munkustrap to take the lead from here.

Munkustrap smiled dazedly, leaning in for a proper kiss, before stopping short. "Wait… what do you mean, you've been waiting? … you knew that I-?"

Mistoffelees shrugged innocently. "It's really no use confiding in Tugger. He can be trusted to spill any secret if he thinks it will lead to mating. He told me ages ago how you felt."

Shaking his head, Munkustrap chuckled. "I'll have to remember to be very upset with him later."

And he took the lead now, leaning in to kiss Mistoffelees. It was much more than a chaste peck this time, much less tentative now that he knew Mistoffelees was not only aware of his affections, but also wholly returning them. This was too good to be true.

Mistoffelees eventually parted from the kiss, friskily running his claws up and down the tabby's strong shoulders. "Much better," he giggled, then sighed as Munkustrap returned the touching by caressing the fur over his ribs. "I love it when you drop your guard."

As they kissed again, Munkustrap decided that maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to stop being a protector for a few minutes.

It still felt rather surreal to be kissing Mistoffelees, too much like a dream for comfort. But then again, even Munkustrap's most vivid erotic dreams never tasted so real, or sent such heated shivers straight to his groin. He was almost embarrassed to be getting so excited so quickly, but Mistoffelees only moaned appreciatively at the feel of the hard flesh against his belly.

One long, fluffy white leg sensuously curled around Munkustrap's hip, flexing as though the small tom was hinting that his other leg should be hoisted up, and his weight supported while they kissed (and more). Munkustrap spared a few seconds to ponder his next move- the wooden wall was a bit weak, but it should hold Mistoffelees' weight if he were hoisted and pressed against it. A more rational Munkustrap would have thought it absurd that they were getting ready to mate in a dusty, broken shack, when five minutes ago the tabby had been certain that Mistoffelees had no idea how he felt. Of course, it was a little difficult to be rational while Mistoffelees' tongue explored his mouth, with the faint flutter of the other's tail against his legs and feet…

All of a sudden, Mistoffelees spasmed and shrieked into his mouth. Still hazy, Munkustrap wondered if something about their kissing suddenly felt really good, or if the small tom had simply climaxed very quickly from the light stimulation. Mistoffelees then tore his mouth away, face crumpling in obvious pain while he tried to get enough breath to scream.

"Misto!" Munkustrap cried. He was still holding the small tom up, though now it felt more like he was keeping him from collapsing. "Everlasting, what's wrong?!"

Mistoffelees could only manage a strangled whimper, limply dropping his leg from around Munkustrap's hips. Backing away from the agonized tux, Munkustrap finally saw the source of the problem, at the exact same moment Mistoffelees drew in enough breath to properly cry out in pain: there was a long, large snake biting the tux's leg, and Munkustrap realized with horror that the flutter he thought he'd felt had not been Mistoffelees' tail at all, but this impossibly large creature slithering around at their feet. How had he not noticed?!

The snake was thick-bodied, covered in slick gray scales peppered with dark amber. It had wrapped itself twice around Mistoffelees' calf, its mouth wide open and fangs stuck into the fur of his right thigh.

"Bloody hell!" Munkustrap hissed.

Mistoffelees writhed against the wooden wall, ineffectively kicking out his leg to dislodge the creature, eyes wide open in terror. "G-g-get it off!"

With no thoughts to his own safety, Munkustrap pounced on the creature. His first instinct was to yank it off the tux's leg as hard as he could, but he realized that wouldn't be a very good idea. He'd seen what a snake's fangs looked like: curved, like a cat's claws, and tearing them from flesh instead of sliding them out would only cause more damage.

"Try to stay still," he said to the panicked tux as he wrapped his paws around the snake. It was thick-bodied and strong. He had to be quick; if it was venomous, he had to stop it from pumping too much poison into Mistoffelees' body.

Mistoffelees nodded shakily. His breaths came in shallow pants, either from pain or from effects of the venom.

Pulling on the snake didn't do anything. Struggling not to panic himself, Munkustrap did the only thing he could think of- sinking his claws deep into the snake's head. It worked; the snake opened its mouth to either hiss in pain or try to bite its attacker, pulling its long, glinting fangs from Mistoffelees' thigh.

Mistoffelees continued taking in small, strangled breaths for a few seconds, before releasing a long moan and staggering away from where Munkustrap was still struggling with the snake. The tabby was trying not to get bitten as well, and trying to dispose of the snake as a threat. He finally settled for slamming the snake into the wall of the shack and letting it drop to the ground, where it dazedly slithered away and back into the woods.

"M… M-Munk!

Heart pounding, the tabby hurriedly turned back towards his companion. The snake was gone, but the threat wasn't over yet. He dropped into a crouch next to Mistoffelees, who'd crumpled to the ground, swaying back and forth while his paws clutched at his thigh.

"The... th-the thing, it… it…!" Mistoffelees slurred.

"It's gone, the snake's gone," Munkustrap quickly said. He put his paws on Mistoffelees' back, trying to keep him calm until he could figure out how badly he was hurt. "How do you feel?"

Mistoffelees coughed a few times, shaking his head. "... bad."

Damn it. Munkustrap was no expert on snakes, but he knew enough to know which ones were dangerous and which ones weren't. The junkyard had its share of small, harmless snakes, mostly snakes that the kittens were warned to stay away from because they bit, even though they wouldn't make you sick. This snake wasn't small and harmless, though. Munkustrap had had a decent look at it while trying to pry it away from Mistoffelees' thigh, and it looked like an adder to his inexperienced self.

"It really burns," Mistoffelees said through clenched teeth. A moment later he began to shiver, though Munkustrap couldn't tell if it was from cold or pain or fear. Munkustrap wanted to curl up and tremble too.

Stay calm, Munkustrap ordered himself. Mistoffelees needs you. "All right, let me see," he said, gently pushing the tux's hands away so he could look at the bite wound. "And keep talking, tell me what you're feeling."

"My head is spinning," Mistoffelees murmured, limply dropping his hands from his lap. He coughed suddenly, and shivered as though caught in a gust of winter wind. "My leg hurts so much—it feels like it's on fire!"

Frowning, Munkustrap leaned it to examine the tux's thigh, gently parting the fur to see the injury. The puncture wounds were bleeding, but not too badly. The fur and skin under his hand were growing hot and swollen, and this was cause for concern. Adders were venomous. He'd been taught that, but he didn't know the first thing about treating something like this. Jenny or Jellylorum might know, with their years of experience, but he didn't. What if he made things worse?

He'd helped injured cats before, though. All he could do was keep Mistoffelees calm, treat whatever he could, and get him back to the junkyard as quickly as possible for proper help.

Munkustrap furtively looked around the shack, searching for anything that could serve as a bandage for the puncture wounds. Mistoffelees continue to shake like a leaf against him, eyes glazed as though he'd had too much catnip. "I'm thirsty," Mistoffelees said plaintively. "There's a strange taste in my mouth."

Munkustrap wasn't sure what that meant, but he had a feeling it wasn't good. He gave up on trying to find something to bind Mistoffelees' leg and gently urged the small tom up.

"Can you stand up?" he asked. "We need to get you home right away. That snake, I think it was an adder—you've got venom in you and I don't know what it'll do."

Mistoffelees was shaking his head, limp and unbalanced in Munkustrap's arms. "… hurts," he whimpered, lifting his leg off the ground with a pained hiss. The swelling had already gotten so bad that Munkustrap could see the bump beneath the fur. "… I don't feel good."

Shaking from adrenaline, Munkustrap nearly stopped to ask him what he meant, but his answer came a second later. With another sad whimper, Mistoffelees staggered into his arms like a drunken pirate, gagged once, and vomited all over the ground.

Bloody hell, Munkustrap growled to himself. This was getting dire and he couldn't waste any more time. He stopped trying to keep Mistoffelees from toppling over onto his face and instead scooped him up into his arms, in a rather sad recall to how he'd cradled the small tom just a few minutes before.

Mistoffelees started and groaned as Munkustrap slid his arm around his legs. "It hurts," the tux said, voice raspy. "It… it feels like my leg is going to split open."

"Just hang on," Munkustrap urged. He carefully manoeuvred over the broken planks of wood on the shack's dirty ground and stepped back out into the wood. After a few seconds, he added, "Try to stay awake."

Taking in shallow breaths, Mistoffelees coughed weakly and wound his fingers into the tabby's fur.

"This isn't how… how I planned this."

"You ended up my arms," Munkustrap said with forced humour, breath halting as he jogged through the woods back towards the junkyard. "I suppose that's something."

"I w-would have picked a different—uuhh," he whimpered, urgently tugging at Munkustrap's fur. "Put me down. P-Put me down, now."

Munkustrap skidded to an awkward stop, breathing hard as he shifted Mistoffelees out of his arms and onto the ground fast as he could. It was just barely fast enough, as the moment Mistoffelees touched the ground, he fell to his knees heavily, at once crying out in pain and gagging as he vomited again onto the leaf-covered ground.

"I'm sorry, Misto," Munkustrap sighed miserably. He rubbed the heaving tom's back as gently as he could. He urgently wanted to keep moving, but also wanted to give Mistoffelees a break from the pain of being jostled around as they ran.

Mistoffelees spat drily on the ground, in obvious agony both from the venom's effects, and from kneeling on his swollen leg. "… I'm s-sor..ry…"

He coughed weakly once more, though instead of getting sick again, he slowly slumped back into Munkustrap's arms.

The tabby's blood ran cold—he feared the worst for a horrible second—but he could still see and hear Mistoffelees' laboured breathing, feel the heat of his body. He'd only fainted. Not dead- not yet. Not anytime soon, if Munkustrap had anything to say about it.

He had less need to be gentle, with Mistoffelees unconscious and momentarily spared from pain. He quickly hoisted the tux back into his arms, feeling yet another pang of guilt at the pained frown on Mistoffelees' unaware face, and ran to the junkyard as quickly as he could.


	2. Chapter 2

"And you said it looked like an adder?" Jellylorum asked.

"It… yes, I'm almost certain," Munkustrap stammered. When Jellylorum's expression became grim, he quickly added, "But I could be wrong. I don't know snakes all that well. Maybe it was something different- something less dangerous."

Jellylorum shook her head kindly. "No, I think you're right, Munk. The symptoms match. Oh dear—it's been so long since anything like this has happened."

"But you have seen this before?" Munkustrap asked. "You know how to take care of him?"

He kept craning his neck, tail twitching nervously, trying to catch a glimpse of Jenny and Mistoffelees on the bed just behind Jellylorum. He'd brought Mistoffelees, still unconscious, back to the junkyard less than an hour ago, running faster than he'd ever managed before.

The good news seemed to be that Jenny and Jellylorum—especially Jellylorum—seemed familiar with the effects of snake bites and had begun working almost immediately, smearing medicine on the bite marks on the tux's swollen thigh and wrapping a bandage around it. The bad news was that Mistoffelees hadn't awakened since passing out in the forest. Jenny had rolled him onto his side, to keep him from choking in case he woke up and vomited again, and was now slowly pouring medicinal tea into his mouth, rubbing his throat with practiced fingers until he swallowed.

"Well, yes," Jellylorum said, shaking her head a bit sadly. "We have seen this before, but…"

"But…?

"But, well… if that adder had bitten someone like you, it would be better," Jellylorum said, though she quickly amended her statement with, "As opposed to Misto, I mean. You're a bigger cat and you weigh more than he does. Snake venom is very dangerous for a small cat."

"But he's going to be all right? He's still alive, isn't he?"

Jellylorum sighed, glanced behind her to where Jenny was still carefully feeding Mistoffelees the medicine, and evenly said, "He is alive, but… the next day will be very crucial. He's unconscious while the venom works its way out of his system. He may recover—or he may not wake up."

"He could die?" Munkustrap asked faintly.

"He could die, Munk. Yes."

"I'm sorry," Jenny said, rising to her feet with the empty tea cup. She walked over to Munkustrap and gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. "It's up to Misto, now. We've done all we can."

"It all happened so quickly…"

Jellylorum nodded. "It often does, dear. That's why snakes are so dangerous. They strike terribly fast. And the venom, well… it spreads like fire."

"He was fine one moment," Munkustrap murmured. "And minutes later, he was unconscious in my arms."

"But alive," Jenny said insistently. "Remember that. The battle isn't over yet."

Munkustrap nodded jerkily. The tux was still curled up on his side, a blanket pulled up to his knees, revealing the clean white bandage wrapped around his thigh. He looked rather peaceful- almost too peaceful, and Munkustrap nearly panicked until he spotted the faint rise and fall of Mistoffelees' chest. Still breathing. Still alive.

"Someone should stay with him at all times for the next few days," Jenny said, wearily rubbing her eyes. "Tugger and Victoria are quite close to him, maybe we could ask them to-"

"I'll stay," Munkustrap said. Without taking his eyes off Mistoffelees' sleeping form, he padded over to the bed and settled himself down on the cushion Jenny had been sitting on. "I'll stay with him until he wakes up."

A hand gently petted his head, and he heard Jellylorum say, "That's very commendable of you. But don't exhaust yourself; we can all take turns sitting with him."

Munkustrap shrugged faintly. Mistoffelees' lips were slightly parted as he breathed quietly, eyes closed and face relaxed. He brushed his hand against Mistoffelees' limp one, then checked the thick bandage wrapped around his thigh as though there was anything he could actually do to help accelerate the healing. "It's my fault this happened."

"Oh, Everlasting," Jenny said with an exasperated sigh. "There he goes. If anyone in this junkyard so much as sneezes, he'll go and blame himself."

"Munk, if he survives at all, it's because you got him back here so quickly," Jellylorum helpfully said.

"It's not like that," Munkustrap said. Under normal circumstances, he would have taken the time to feel offense at Jenny's words. He brushed Mistoffelees' hand again and wrapped his fingers around the tux's unresponsive ones. "We both could have been paying attention, but… we weren't. We didn't seen the adder right at our feet. It's my fault because I was distracting him."

"Were you having an argument?" Jenny asked. "Were you fighting?"

Munkustrap sheepishly shook his head. "We were…. Er…" Why was it so difficult to admit? He lovingly tightened his grip around Mistoffelees' hand, hoping the gesture and his embarrassed silence would be explanation enough.

Luckily, Jellylorum caught on. "Oh, I see," she said, with a hint of amusement despite the gravity of the situation. "Well, either of you can hardly be blamed for that."

"I'm sorry, dear," Jenny said. "I didn't know the two of you were… well… mates."

"We're not," the tabby quickly said. "Not yet. But… I suppose it's something we'll be discussing if Misto wakes up. When Misto wakes up."

Neither queen had anything to say against that. Munkustrap had to admit his own boldness surprised him; he wasn't in the habit of being pessimistic, but he also wasn't a blind optimist. Still, of there was any hope to be had, then he was going to cling to it like mad.

He wasn't about to lose the cat he'd fallen in love with, and especially not just a few hours after literally embracing that love for the first time.

He settled himself on the cushion, made sure Mistoffelees' hand wasn't about to slip free of his own, and prepared to wait as long as he needed to before seeing the tux's eyes open.

***

Since Mistoffelees had been brought to Jellylorum's den, owing to her more ample supply of medicines for this particular medical emergency, Jenny eventually left for the night and left their patient to be watched over by Jellylorum and Munkustrap.

Munkustrap hadn't yet left the tux's side, still sitting on the cushion. He made no motion when Jellylorum came by to pet him on the shoulder.

"Go get some sleep, Munk," she said. "You've had a very eventful day too."

"I'm fine," Munkustrap said, shaking his head. "Really. I'm not tired, I don't think I could sleep."

Jellylorum sighed softly. "You're allowed to take care of yourself sometimes, dear."

He made no answer. He was more preoccupied by the fact that Mistoffelees' hand, still cradled in his own, was becoming a bit cold, and that the small tom had begun to shiver in his sleep.

"Something's wrong," the tabby said. He futilely pulled up the thin sheet to Mistoffelees' shoulders. "Jelly—he looks like he's freezing."

The old queen quickly turned her attention to the unconscious tux, putting a warm hand to his forehead and feeling his face. "This may be normal," she said. "An effect of the venom. I'll get him some blankets to make him more comfortable."

Munkustrap nodded absently as she disappeared into the back of her den. She'd only been gone a few seconds but it already felt like hours, as Munkustrap helplessly sat and watched Mistoffelees shivering desperately.

On impulse, he pushed himself up from the cushion, lifted the thin sheet, and slid onto the bed behind Mistoffelees' back, pressing their bodies together full-length. With a purr for comfort, he gently began to groom the back of Mistoffelees' head and neck, hoping it would help heat up the freezing tom.

To his relief, the shivering began to ease, and Mistoffelees seemed to slid into a more restful sleep. When Jellylorum came back, holding a thick flannel blanket, she said nothing at the sight of the two curled-up toms, but smiled and draped the blanket over them both.

"If he loves you half as much as you love him, Munk," she gently whispered as she left the room to go sleep. "Then you're going to be very happy together."

***

Munkustrap stayed by the sleeping tux's side for three days. Three days, during which Jenny and Jellylorum alternated between yelling at him to leave and get some sleep, or doting fussily over him and bringing him food and tea. When they weren't doing that, they busily checked over Mistoffelees, changing the bandage on his thigh and forcing tea down his throat.

Munkustrap did sleep, in little bursts here and there, jerking himself awake and flushing with guilt that he hadn't been watching Mistoffelees as promised. Victoria had come by to try and take her shift by the still-unconscious tux, only to be rebuffed by Munkustrap.

Tugger had done the same, though he'd merely shrugged at Munkustrap's efforts to chase him away and settled down next to his brother and his unconscious best friend. At least the conversation was a welcome distraction from the tabby's exhaustion and worry, and had earned him boisterous congratulations from Tugger after he'd learned that the two had finally made a move.

For the most part, Munkustrap spent the time alone, clutching Mistoffelees' paw or carefully grooming his face and head, watching the tux's face for any signs of wakefulness. At the very least, he was still breathing, and occasionally it seemed to Munkustrap that he stirred and moaned quietly in his sleep, and that was something.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to Mistoffelees, once they were alone again. He'd spoken to the unconscious tom over the past few days, deciding that maybe a familiar voice would help rouse him. Tugger had offered to sing, and then to whisper obscene things to the small tom so he'd wake up and punch him in disgust.

"I don't mean that I'm sorry about the snake," Munkustrap said. He gently caressed Mistoffelees' paw as he spoke. "Well, yes, I am sorry about not protecting you, but that's not all. I'm sorry about always protecting you. Instead of… instead of paying attention to what you really wanted."

Munkustrap leaned down to rest his head against the edge of the bed. The move brought him close to Mistoffelees' sleeping face.

"Tugger told me I'm an idiot." He smiled ruefully. "Granted, he tells me that a lot. But according to him, I should have seen the signs from a mile away. But I didn't, you know? I never think about things like that. But, Everlasting, I should."

Despite himself, despite the strength and resolution he'd worked so hard to build up, he began to feel a heat and a prickling at his eyes. Tears? He never cried. He couldn't remember the last time he'd cried. Maybe as a kitten, falling from a box or bumping his head or losing a favourite toy mouse.

"I should, because…" Munkustrap paused, frowning as he wiped at his eyes. It did nothing though; as soon as he blotted one tear, more fell down his face, leaving warm tracks in his fur. He finally gave up on holding the tears back, and instead focused on keeping his voice from wavering as he spoke. "… because I almost missed something wonderful. I would have missed it, if you hadn't said anything. I was a fool, Misto… now please, please wake up and give me a chance to get it right…"

He trailed off, not wishing to embarrass himself any further with the rather maudlin speech and his increasingly obvious sobs. He pressed his face into the blankets, crying softly.

Munkustrap almost missed the soft nudge. The last three days had been filled with moments of false hope where he'd been sure he'd seen Mistoffelees blink or mumble something, so he paid no attention at first when he felt a gentle squeeze against his hand. The squeeze soon became more insistent, finally prompting the confused and still teary-eyed Munkustrap to lift his head.

"… you are crying," Mistoffelees weakly rasped. He was blinking sleepily, licking his lips with a dry sound. "I thought so. I never thought I'd see…"

"M… Misto?" Munkustrap gasped. To his embarrassment, the tears kept coming, though at least now they'd been replaced with tears of happiness. Mistoffelees was awake, and he was quite sure he wasn't dreaming. "You're… oh, Everlasting! You're all right! How do you feel? Does anything hurt? Do you need anything?"

"… water'd be wonderful…"

The tabby was on his feet in a flash, scrambling for the water cups Jellylorum had left around for him. Feeling rather giddily happy now, he set down the cup and slipped his arms around Mistoffelees, helping the weak tom sit up enough to drink.

Mistoffelees' eyes glazed over a bit as he sat up, though the moment he'd gulped down some water, clarity returned.

"Thank you," he said, coughing slightly, though sounding stronger already. He blinked a bit sluggishly and took in his surroundings. "That… that thing—the snake. It poisoned me badly, didn't it?" At Munkustrap's nod, he asked, "How long have I been…?"

"Three days," Munkustrap said. He began to press the tux back down onto the bed, but Mistoffelees shook his head, propping himself comfortably against Munkustrap's shoulder instead. "Give or take."

"Have you been sitting there the whole time?"

"… give or take. But you're awake, you're going to be fine now. How are you feeling?"

Mistoffelees seemed to consider the question for a moment. Munkustrap could see one of his paws straying down to feel the bandage-covered thigh.

"Not so bad. Tired. A bit sore. And… hungry, actually." He grinned to himself, then glanced at Munkustrap, lifting a shaking hand. "Were you crying for me?"

Munkustrap sheepishly wiped at his damp fur. "I wasn't crying. I was…"

"Sweating from your eyes, got it," Mistoffelees gave a tired smile. "I do so love it when you drop your guard."

"That… that's why this was my fault," Munkustrap said, grasping Mistoffelees' paw in his own. "I did drop my guard. If I'd been paying attention, you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

Mistoffelees shrugged as best as he could while pressed to Munkustrap's shoulder. "I think you did fine. Imagine how badly I would have gotten hurt if you hadn't been there at all."

Munkustrap gently shook his head. "I am sorry though."

"Well," Mistoffelees said, and for a moment, Munkustrap mistook the look of cheeky seduction for a look of exhaustion. The tux gave his hand a quick squeeze for emphasis. "I can think of one way for you to make it up to me."

***

Mistoffelees recovered quickly. Less than a day after waking up from the venom-induced coma, he was able to stand up and walk around entirely under his own power. Despite this, Jellylorum ordered plenty of bed rest and for the small tom to stay with someone to help him as needed. Munkustrap could not have volunteered any faster; shockingly, Mistoffelees himself had no objections, and found himself settling into Munkustrap's den the moment the two busy queens agreed to let him leave.

Mistoffelees, of course, made an awful show of limping and needing to lean on Munkustrap for the walk home. Ever the concerned protector, Munkustrap made sure he had two arms around the small tom the whole way, not without a large grin.

The next few days passed in a blur. It seemed that the moment Mistoffelees was able to wake up, the effects of the adder's venom had essentially disappeared. Naturally, he took advantage of Munkustrap's good-natured sense of guilt by demanding attention and a rather inordinate amount of cuddling.

"Right here, eh?" Munkustrap asked. Like so many times in the last week, he found himself sitting with Mistoffelees' leg sprawled across his lap, while he tenderly massaged the thigh with the healing bite wounds. The swelling was essentially gone, but Mistoffelees insisted that it still ached something dreadful.

"Mm-hm," Mistoffelees purred. "It's just agonizing." He sighed and squirmed in Munkustrap's lap, until the massaging paws were nowhere near the former injury site and instead were being lead just a bit higher on the tux's body.

Munkustrap made no move to object. In fact, he fought the urge to smile, heart racing at the endearing sight and feel. He'd wondered just when they would pick up where they left off in the shack, before the adder's attack.

At first, he'd felt a pang of anger at the entire situation- he'd nearly lost Mistoffelees, and nearly lost the chance to claim him as a mate because of that damn snake. But the anger had turned to something else now; oh, he certainly wasn't happy about everything that had happened, but at the same time, it had taught him a bit of a lesson. Mistoffelees wasn't a bloody kitten who needed to be kept locked away safely; he was his own tom, and a survivor.

And if this was what he needed, then Everlasting, Munkustrap could learn to give him exactly that.

It wasn't long before Mistoffelees' pointed squirming led to his paw making contact between the tux's legs. He didn't wait for further instruction before gently grasping and stroking the swelling flesh, rewarded with a pleased murmur from Mistoffelees. It had started out so naturally, and it still felt so natural to Mistoffelees now cradled on his lap, moaning softly as he attempted to return the gesture and carefully reached down between Munkustrap's thighs, finding a very hard and very eager member.

"Right there, eh?" Mistoffelees teased. He was very careful not to loosen either of their grips as he shifted about on the tabby's lap, turning himself around so he was straddling Munkustrap's thighs and facing him while they touched each other. Munkustrap politely failed to mention that the tux's ostensibly aching thigh seemed perfectly healthy enough now.

An attempted kiss ended with Mistoffelees' face buried in Munkustrap's neck; he panted harshly, nipping and licking at the tabby's neck while their paws continued to pleasure one another down below.

Munkustrap growled at the nipping. It felt terribly good, and coupled with the quickening strokes, it was becoming almost too good. He'd waited and dreamed about this for too long to have their first real mating end like that of two fumbling teenage toms in the dark.

Releasing Mistoffelees' member, he took hold of the small tom's hips, lifting him and depositing him on the cushions. Mistoffelees made a small sound of surprise, but quickly smiled at the new position, stretching himself out from head to tail and rolling his hips as though putting on a very sensual show.

Everlasting, the tux was beautiful to look at. Munkustrap placed his hands on slim hips and dragged them upwards through the black fur, deliberately pressing and caressing the skin beneath. Mistoffelees responded with little gasps and the occasional twitch whenever one of Munkustrap's hands glided over a sensitive spot. He moaned long and hard when the tabby passed over his nipples. With a slight grin, Munkustrap leaned in, pausing briefly to savour the way Mistoffelees' chest now heaved with excited breaths, and pushed the fur aside so he could mouth a nipple.

"Munk!" Mistoffelees breathed. He grabbed a fistful of striped head fur and clenched. "Yes… oh y-yes…"

Munkustrap briefly paused his gentle sucking only to adjust his position slightly, reaching down between Mistoffelees' widely-spread legs. He briefly caressed the tux's erection before exploring lower, carefully pressing a finger inside while he continued to lick and suck at a nipple, distracting the small tom from any potential discomfort while he prepared him, stretching him as slowly and gently as he could.

The discomfort, if any, seemed minimal. If anything, Mistoffelees only squirmed and moaned harder with every additional finger, until he was pulling hard on Munkustrap's head and rolling his hips insistently, making his intentions quite clear.

With a grin, Munkustrap went to position himself between Mistoffelees' legs, but the tux stopped him with a firm hand around his rigid flesh and a decidedly sassy shake of his head.

"Don't take care of me," he said, punctuating the order with a slow, gentle stroke that made Munkustrap shudder.

"Should I drop my guard…?" Munkustrap asked. He tried his best to be cheeky in reply, but it was difficult when Mistoffelees squeezed him again.

"No, I like it when your guard is raised," Mistoffelees said with a mock-growl.

Mistoffelees gave him a deliberately smouldering look as he sat up on the cushions, pushing on Munkustrap until the tabby was forced to rise to his feet. The small tom followed, though instead of standing, he dragged his claws down Munkustrap's shoulders, chest and hips as he lowered himself down to his knees.

He nuzzled the tabby's prominent erection, purring and breathing on it before using one paw to guide it towards his mouth. Munkustrap hissed softly, eyes rolling back in pleasure as Mistoffelees drew him in and out, pausing every so often to lick him from root to tip, until his erection and the thick fur surrounded it were wet with saliva.

He realized that the sucking wasn't meant to excite him, so much as it was to prepare him. Well, he was about as prepared as he was going to get; with a last, heartfelt groan, he slid his slickened, wet organ out of Mistoffelees' mouth, and drew the tux to his feet.

So, Mistoffelees didn't want to be taken care of? He could handle that.

He flashed Mistoffelees a wicked grin, making sure the small tom could see a devilish flash of fangs, and bent down to securely wrap his hands around the back of Mistoffelees' thighs. The tux's tail lashed against his hands in excitement.

Mistoffelees made an excited noise as he was lifted, wrapping his legs instinctively around Munkustrap's waist, gaining leverage to roll his hips and press his damp erection into the tabby's pelvis. Oddly enough, his thigh didn't seem to be aching at all anymore.

"And you're feeling all right?" Munkustrap asked unnecessarily, shifting their weight as the tux's arms came to rest around his shoulders. Mistoffelees wasn't heavy, but he was still careful to maintain his balance while he held the other tom.

"I feel wonderful," Mistoffelees purred. "Better than I have in a long time. I feel… alive."

Munkustrap smiled at that, and shifted their combined weight once more so he could better reach Mistoffelees for a kiss. A sweet, quick kiss, to temper the fact that what was about to follow was anything but sweet.

Tightening his hold around Mistoffelees' thighs, Munkustrap took a few careful steps towards the nearest wall and pressed the small tom against it. He used a tad more force than was strictly necessary, but Mistoffelees' loud groan and pleasured shudder told him he didn't seem to mind.

Now that the wall was able to take some of the tux's weight, Munkustrap freed one hand and reached down to grab himself, pushing his hips into a few different angles, saw the thoughtful, gleeful look on Mistoffelees' face as he did the same, until they found each other. Munkustrap groaned softly as he pushed inside, encountering just a little bit of resistance, eyes fastened to the tux's own. He watched as Mistoffelees' head fall back against the wall, and he released a tiny hiss coupled with a frown.

"Are you all right?" Munkustrap breathed.

"Y-yes," Mistoffelees said. His legs flexed around the tabby's hips as he adjusted himself. "It's just that, well—" He bit his lip through a sudden, mischievous grin. "You're big, Munk."

Though concerned, Munkustrap couldn't help a small smile. "Should we stop…?"

"Don't you dare."

Mistoffelees' mischievous grin disappeared as the tabby made a first, sudden thrust, replaced by an expression of pure rapture. A small whimper became a mess of gasps and groans as Munkustrap thrust hard, shaking the small body and making the wall creak behind him.

Mistoffelees' body tensed between Munkustrap's body and the wall, his moans falling to soundless, strained breaths. He slid his claws into Munkustrap's shoulders, urging the tabby to quicker motions, until his head knocked back against the wall with an audible thump as he reached his orgasm, spraying the fur between them with liquid heat.

The sudden clenching around his member nearly drove Munkustrap over the edge as well. While Mistoffelees still rode out his orgasm, he redoubled the strength of his thrusts, shaking the tux's body against the wall as he climaxed, pitching forward with a loud moan.

He'd landed with his face against Mistoffelees' neck, lazily mouthing the fur and neck there and enjoying the post-orgasmic high. The tux's shaking hands caressed the back of his head for a few minutes, then tapped against his fur to signal a request to be released back to the ground.

It took some careful manoeuvring, mostly because Munkustrap's legs were still trembling from exertion and he tried to be as gentle as possible as he pulled out of the tux and set him back to his feet.

With a happy sigh, Mistoffelees stretched languorously and made his way back to the cushions, flopping down gracefully with a lazy, contented purr.

"This is why I like your den," Mistoffelees mumbled sleepily. Crawling to join him on the cushions, Munkustrap could practically hear the grin in his voice. "The walls are sturdy."

Munkustrap returned the purr, smiling as the tux came to settle in his arms. He opened his mouth briefly, coming dangerously close to asking a question he knew he would regret.

Mistoffelees shifted against him. "What?"

"What do you mean, what?"

"I mean, what were you going to say? Were you going to say you were sorry for everything again?"

"No," Munkustrap truthfully answered. "I was going to ask if you're all right—I mean, with everything here."

"Mmm," Mistoffelees said, curling himself a little tighter around the striped chest. "You are such a worrywart. So let me assure you that I feel fine… in every way."

Munkustrap nodded lightly, absently running his paw up and down the sleek black fur of the tux's back. "I wasn't too rough with you?"

"Oh yes, and I'm glad you were, " Mistoffelees said airily. "And I'm glad that you—" He shifted up to lick Munkustrap's nose. "—learned how to drop your guard once in a while."

Munkustrap responded to the lick with a quick kiss. Before continuing on, he couldn't resist asking, "Does your thigh ache at all now?"

"Oh yes," the tux purred, guiding Munkustrap's hand down to his leg while he reared up for a kiss. "It hurts something dreadful."


End file.
